Urban Roadway in America

Academics, policymakers, and practitioners do not agree on whether the United States has too much or too little roadway infrastructure. Nevertheless, federal, state, and local governments spend hundreds of billions of dollars annually building, expanding, rebuilding, and maintaining roads. Beyond their disagreements on the costs and benefits of roadway infrastructure, researchers and policymakers do not even know how much land is dedicated to roadways, where it is located, or how much it is worth. Without better accounting, it is difficult to assess whether there is too much or too little roadway and whether outcomes such as commute times, wealth, health, or employment vary with the amount of roadway. For all the benefits roadways provide motorists, they take land that could otherwise be used for homes, businesses, shops, and open spaces. A better understanding of roadway space and value is essential for assessing state and federal transportation policy, conducting cost-benefit analyses, and helping local officials understand how their city, town, and metropolitan areas compare with others.